


Still With You

by AeonTheDimensionalGirl



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: AU for last episodes of SoG, Pre-Season 9 (Hunted), WE GOT TWO FREAKING GARMI'S IN THE HOUSE, garmadon really missed his son, lloyd is confused and angry over his feeling for harumi, lloyd is in deep angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-04-26 21:30:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14410947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonTheDimensionalGirl/pseuds/AeonTheDimensionalGirl
Summary: (Collab with Zena Airale in FanFiction.com) In which Lord Garmadon is not the only Garmadon brought back by the Oni Masks. (AU for SoG’s Episodes 83 and 84).





	1. Their Return

**Author's Note:**

> Lloyd angst is one of the things I live for, and Zena wanted to make a collab with me after reading my other Ninjago fic, 'Unbreakable Bond'. Plus, we both love the Garmadon family.

_An arm reached out from the pedestal…_

_Then another…_

_And another…_

_And another…_

Coming back from the departed realm was strange and terrifying.

Strange, because, _it was coming back_ _to life_. To breathe and walk and be with family after being mourned for years, after missing them for so long.

Terrifying, because you shouldn’t, under any circumstances, be brought to life with your past, _monstrous self_.

_“How is this even possible?”_ Garmadon thought as he laid on the floor, his past self (he was calling it Bad Garmadon, the form deserved that name) already up and examining his surroundings with grunts and growls. To be honest, the Sensei wasn’t so sure he wanted to know how there were two of him. One free of Great Devourer venom, the other one with evil literally flowing through its veins. It sounded like a weird, convoluted story that came from on those comic books he remembered Lloyd enjoyed reading in his free time.

Garmadon considered getting up, since it looked like Bad Garmadon hadn’t noticed he was not alone. Maybe he could take him out on his own, make sure he didn’t cause any harm, that he didn’t find his way to whoever had the crazy, stupid idea to brin-

**“You”**

The Sensei bit back a curse, instead slowly getting up to face the Bad Garmadon.

“I suppose the same thing could be said about you” Garmadon replied calmly as he and the monster started circulating each other. “How about you leave this realm before someone gets hurt?”

**“Not…leaving….summoned”** grunted Bad Garmadon.

So his other self seemed to be having a few problem communicating. Was it because its humanity was currently talking with him?

“Whoever summoned us is probably not in the right state of mind” Garmadon continued to say. It was true, who in their right mind would like Lord Garmadon back? It clearly had to be someone who clearly wanted to watch the world burn.

**“Us?”** Bad Garmadon growled, **“US?!”**

Before the Sensei could think, the monster charged. Garmadon managed to move aside just in time, but Bad Garmadon quickly recuperated and kept chasing Garmadon.

**“THERE IS NO US!”** Bad Garmadon kept on saying as he grabbed a piece of rubble before throwing it to his human self, who couldn’t doge it in time, hitting him on the back and sending him to the floor. Garmadon tried to get up again, but the monster grabbed him by the neck robe before locking their shared vibrant red eyes.

**“ONLY ME”** grunted the Bad Garmadon as he threw Sensei Garmadon into a nearby wall.

The impact nearly left the old man without air, and as he laid once again in the floor, watching his monstrous self walk away, he managed to whisper one thing:

“Lloyd”

Then everything went black.

* * *

 

The sky was still dark when Garmadon came to once again. He realized, much to his internal frustration, that Lord Garmadon had managed to knock him out for nearly the entire day: there had been stars before he passed out, and now the stars were gone, just dark clouds over a dark sky. The Sensei had the bad feeling this had some hidden meaning in the current situation.

He got up slowly, still a little dizzy over the small fight. Once his vision was less blurry, the old master of destruction checked himself for injuries, silently thanking his father when he found none other than some bruises in his backside.

_“I have to get back to the city and find the Ninja, NOW”_ Garmadon thought as he started to run out of the temple (slowly recognizing it as the infamous Temple of Resurrection) he found himself in. However, he quickly noticed that the first item in the newly formed bucket list was already done.

“Who builds a temple like this in the middle of the city?!” Garmadon nearly yelled in exasperation.

_“Actually, who builds a city near a temple?”_ he pondered as he completely exited the site before stumbling upon an object with a burnt symbol. The old man quickly recognized it as the royal seal of the Emperor and Empress of Ninjago. A wave of realization hit the Sensei. Whoever wanted him back, knew where the Temple of Resurrection was, (a secret he was sure his father had taken to his grave), _knew_ that the Royal Family had built their palace on top of it, and burned it to the ground. Garmadon only hoped the royals made it out alive.

He would have resumed his previous task before noticing that there were big crowds of people looking up at the giant TV screens all over Ninjago City, where there seemed to be some sort of fight going on. Curious, the Sensei started to approach, he realized with growing horror that:

  1. The fight was live.
  2. It was between Lloyd and Lord Garmadon.



And,

  1. Lloyd was refusing to fight.



Garmadon watch with his breath caught in his throat as his son tried to talk the monster into reasoning, believing his father to be trapped inside that empty shell.

_“-I saved you once, I’ll save you again”_ Lloyd was currently saying. It hit Garmadon how his voice had changed into a more mature tone.

“You don’t have to, I’m here” Garmadon couldn’t help but whisper at the same time Lord Garmadon said the following:

**“THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO SAVE!”** the monster proclaimed, before attacking more ferociously at Lloyd.

Oh, this brought unpleasant memories. Garmadon knew his son, when it came to fighting family he was always reluctant. Lloyd dodged attacks, but that was it.

**“I’ve played many roles…”** Lord Garmadon said to the Green Ninja, eventually managing to hit Lloyd with its destructive element. The Sensei couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

“Where is this happening?” He asked to the person in front of him.

“Have you been living under a rock in the last few years, pal?” the person said without turning around, “That’s Kriptarioum Prison”

Of course.

Before anyone could say ‘Ninja Go’, Garmadon had bolted towards that direction.

He had to get to Lloyd before it was too late.

* * *

It had been years since Garmadon used Spinjitzu, but his lack of practice in the art didn’t stop him in arriving to the prison while it was still night. He stopped turning, spotting a mech he was sure that belong to Lloyd.

“Where are the other Ninja…?” the Sensei wondered aloud as he ran past the mech, not seeing any trace of other vehicles or red, blue, black and white. Not even the Samurai was on sight.

Did his son really come out here to fight that monster all alone?

And after finishing that thought, the sound of a wall breaking caught Garmadon’s attention.

For just a few seconds, time seemed to stop.

Old red eyes could only follow the falling bricks, where there was a green blur, screaming.

The green blur stopped screaming as soon as the body hit the floor.

Not one.

Nor two.

The body didn’t get up after landing the third time.

“NO!” The scream died in Garmadon’s throat as he ran towards his son, ignoring the dark laughter that shortly followed and disappeared. His only focus was Lloyd, he didn’t care if he got spotted by Bad Garmadon; the only thing that mattered above anything was getting to his child.

“Lloyd!” Garmadon finally made it to his son’s side, quickly setting down and turning him over. “Lloyd…” he whispered in shock as he took in his son’s face.

Lloyd had physically matured into a young adult, no longer looking like a teenager. His light blond hair, once in a bowl cut that transformed into a longer, suave look was now lengthier and wilder, with dirt and blood caught on it. His face was filled with cuts and newly formed bruises, as so was the rest of his body. Garmadon noticed with alarm that blood was spreading in some parts.

“Son...” the father softly cried as he cradled his broken child in his lap, “I’m sorry I didn’t make it sooner, but I beg you… stay strong, okay?” he pleaded as he ripped off pieces of his clothes and attempted to stop the bleeding from the worst looking cuts.

“Stay with me, please” As he said that, Garmadon heard a familiar sound on top of him and Lloyd. Lifting his head up, a wave of hope surged through him.

The _Destiny Bounty_.

The Ninja were here.


	2. At Last

In all honestly, the next events were a blur to Garmadon: one moment the Ninja had arrived, someone (he can bet his newly returned life that it was the Blue Ninja, Jay) had yell something regarding ‘dead people not staying in the grave’; Lloyd was taken away from him and put on a stretcher; Garmadon may have broken into tears when newer cuts were revealed on the new light; there was a conversation on a phone…. He swore he heard his beloved Misako’s voice before it was decided that they would be taking Lloyd to Mistake’s Tea Shop.

After that, the moments seemed to stretch on, and soon, they had arrived at Ninjago City. Nya was the one who spotted Mistake’s shop from afar, and once they landed the _Destiny Bounty_ , Garmadon was quick to carry Lloyd inside, the other ninja promptly following.

Garmadon clutched Lloyd tight against his chest as they entered, not daring to let go...not for a little while. _Don't leave...I just got you back...I can't lose you again..._

"Sensei Garmadon?!” he heard Mystaké drop a cup in shock. “How wonderful it is to see you normal again!" she soon exclaimed. However, her face turned grim once she saw who he was caring.

Garmadon managed to smile softly but became despondent after a moment. "Lloyd...he's on the verge of...of _dying_... We tried our hardest but it hasn't been much help. Is there anything you can do?" He asked desperately as he put Lloyd down onto a free table. As soon as he let go, however, Lloyd stared to mumble, clearly in delirium. He was murmuring indistinctive words and starting to burn up.

"Oh, yes." Mystaké said, voice mysterious. Garmadon breathed out a sigh of relief. "Please, he won't be able to last much longer."

Mystaké came out with a kettle and cup after a moment. "The Tea of Rejuvenation." She turned to the four original ninja. "You are going to have to give up your powers to save him."

Kai seemed hesitant, looking to Garmadon who nodded softly in reply.

"We can go to the Golden Peaks later to restore your powers. Lloyd is more important at this moment."

Kai nodded and put a hand on Lloyd, as did the other ninja.

Garmadon braced himself for what was to come. "Go ahead..." he whispered to Mystaké.

She gently poured the tea into Lloyd's mouth, and the ninja concentrated the rest of their powers into him. A tense moment followed, in which everyone waited intently for Lloyd to open his eyes once again.

And then…

Lloyd let out a shuddering breath and convulsed. His father stroked his hair lightly, softly reassuring him that things would be alright.

"Thank you..." Garmadon whisper-cried to Mistaké.

“I must warn you, the tea may have healed him, but it’s possible that even if he wakes up, he will still not be fully up to his potential” she said.

“Lady, can you ever please speak normal and not in rime” Cole asked with exasperation.

* * *

Eventually, Lloyd did wake up. He didn’t notice his human father sitting beside him, instead he kept his eyes half open, staring at the celling.  "Father, I'm so sorry..." he murmured. “I failed you…”

“No, you haven’t… You are alright. I’m right here, son..." Garmadon smiled, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

Lloyd turned his head around so quickly that for a second the Sensei feared he got whiplash. There was a moment of silence as vibrant red eyes meet old crimson.

" _FATHER!_ " Lloyd collapsed into his arms for the first time in years. His body shook from sobs but he didn't care about that at all. " _I've missed you_..."

"As have I. You have suffered too much… I never wished to leave you so early. But I'm here now… I shall _never_ leave again…” Garmadon assured as he rubbed circles on Lloyd’s back. Both of them pulled away after a little while.

Lloyd smiled softly. “I'm glad you're here…” He got off the table, his father holding his hand.

Garmadon smiled in return. “I’m glad I’m with you again”

From the corner, the Ninjas were watching the reunion, Kai and Zane with smiles on their faces, Nya and Cole were cooing and Jay was trying to wipe his tears with a handkerchief. The Garmadon’s, however, seemed to remain oblivious to this.

Lloyd let out a soft sigh. “Our time together was so short…”

Garmadon embraced him. “I’m here for you, Lloyd.”

“I know…” Lloyd replied in a murmur.

“Don’t worry… Don’t worry…” Garmadon consoled.

Lloyd cried out, his voice cracking slightly. “N-Never let me go… Please”

Garmadon sighed, stroking his hair. “It will be alright… I’ll always be here for you.”

Lloyd looked up at Garmadon longingly. “Father…”

“Yes, Lloyd?”

“I'm so grateful to have you as a part of my life…”

Garmadon beamed. “I am the grateful one,” he said as he put his hands on Lloyd’s shoulders, “to have you as my son.”

Lloyd relaxed in his father’s hold. “I love you…”

“I love you too, Lloyd… You were always so sensitive…”

Lloyd tensed. “I'm scared... I don't want you to leave…”

“I won’t leave you. Not this time. Not for anything.”

Lloyd began crying, as did Garmadon. They were both so relieved to be back with each other once again. Both of them could hardly believe it. The other ninjas continued to watch in admiration as the scene played out before them.

Lloyd took in a deep breath and then said, “I don't want anything to harm you…”

Garmadon held him even closer. “I will be alright, son.”

Lloyd then collapsed to his knees, and his father nearly panicked.

“Lloyd! Are you alright? What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly while bending down to Lloyd’s level. Lloyd crawled over to his parent, curling up in fetal position, his head on his father’s lap.

“ ‘M tired….” His son whispered, “I want go home” he said as he tiredly looked at his friends and then at his father.

“I am here for you.” Garmadon said. “ _Always._ Oh, my child, you’ve grown so much… But some things will never change...”

“He needs the rest.” Zane declared as he stepped towards the Garmadon’s. “We all do”

Garmadon smiled at Mystaké gratefully, before picking up his child and returning with the others to the _Destiny’s Bounty_ once again.

* * *

Lloyd and his father were alone in the bedroom together, Garmadon patching up some of the injuries the Rejuvenation Tea didn’t fully heal while his son was asleep. Once he finished, Garmadon then noticed a picture near Lloyd’s lap. Curious, he took it to examine it. It was of the two of them before the Chen incident and Garmadon’s initial banishment. Memories flooded through his head, pulling at his heartstrings but he didn’t care whatsoever.

“Father, are you alright?” Lloyd asked softly as he sat up from slumber.

“ _Yes…_ Oh, Lloyd, you have no idea…” Garmadon put the picture down, wrapping his son tightly in an embrace.

Lloyd sighed as he pulled away, looking at another picture. This time, it was of a young woman with a green civilian attire. Garmadon was confused for a moment by his son’s sudden change of behavior in regards of the picture, but by studying Lloyd’s face it hit him: Whoever she was, she had attracted Lloyd’s attention, and…. It hadn’t end well. And his son still had feelings for her.

“Lloyd? What’s the matter?” Garmadon asked, wanting to know the story and voice filled with concern.

“S-She used me to resurrect you…” Lloyd growled, putting the picture down so his father could see. “She played with my heart” His hands balled up into fists. He was visibly shaking. His red eyes faintly glowed for a few seconds. “ _How could I have been so blind… And I still love her and yet...UUUUGGGGGGHHHH!_ ” He hit the mattress in frustration.

“Lloyd…” Garmadon put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Calm down… Don’t let your anger cloud your judgment… You know better...”

“Right…” Lloyd sighed, the glow in his eyes fading once again.

“Come here… We’ll figure this out together, okay?” Garmadon said in reassurance, pulling Lloyd against him once more.

Lloyd let tears fall as he and his father held one another. Lloyd remembered ignoring his comrades’ words when he rode to Kryptarium. Smashing the electronics and getting his hands a bit bloody. He felt guilt. It was so much for him to take in all at once. He thought the problems would be over with his father’s return, but it wasn’t the case. He silently cursed destiny for all of the pain it had caused him.

“Lloyd Montgomery… _Kokoni iruyo…_ I’m right here…” Garmadon spoke in a soft whisper as he stroked Lloyd’s hair. “You may be older now, but you will always be my little one at heart.”

Lloyd smiled at the statement, his eyes tearing up even more.

“We haven’t gotten it easy, have we?” Lloyd said as he moved to curl up beside his father.

Garmadon cooed softly. “No… but, ahh if only moments like this could last forever…”

Lloyd sighed as he looked at his hands, “I can’t feel my powers, it’s like….they’re not working…”

“Mystaké did warn us. But don’t worry, your elemental powers are permanent, not temporary. In time it will regenerate, hopefully at the same time your friends regain theirs when we arrive at the Golden Peaks” Garmadon said.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound was heard. Lloyd looked for his phone. A notification from NTV News Network **: ‘Lord Garmadon has taken over the city!’**

He groaned. “We don’t have time! We have to get to New Ninjago City as fast as possible!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! Dear Zena took over this chapter and she made a wonderful job!


	3. Return to Ninjago City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're loving the warm reception you guys have given us, really.

When Lloyd and Sensei Garmadon got to the upper deck, the other Ninja were already pulling out weapons while Pixal changed the coordinates back to the city.

“Well, it will be just like old times, guys!” Cole was saying as he passed Lloyd two swords, “No elemental powers, just weapons and our wits!”

“Do you guys think we can unlock our true potential again to regain our powers?” Jay wondered as he looked at Garmadon for some confirmation. He pondered.

“It may be possible to do so without going to the Golden Peaks, but I’m afraid Wu knows more about that than I do,” he said as he came to a realization, “Wait, where _is_ my brother?”

The whole deck activity came to a halt as everyone froze and slowly turned to look at Sensei Garmadon, who looked at his son, “Lloyd?”

The Green Ninja was looking at him in which Garmadon could only read as an expression of panic.

“Me?” Lloyd’s voice came out an octave higher as he looked around the deck, “Er, well, you see father, Uncle Wu, uh…. Kai, Nya?” he asked, turning to the siblings in help. Both of them, didn’t provide a suitable answer.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS!” Kai yelled as Nya consecutively yelled: “JAY!”

“ME?! ZANE CAN EXPLAIN IT BETTER!” replied the Blue Ninja in panic.

“I believe Cole would explain it better in this case,” was the Nindroid’s only response.

All eyes darted to Cole, who looked exasperated.

“Traitors,” he muttered loud enough for them to hear before turning to a still waiting Sensei Garmadon, “You see… last year, we had a little incident with the time blades and Kai and Nya’s missing parents and long story short, Wu got trapped in time, making Lloyd the new Master, and we spent the whole year trying to find Sensei Wu andwemayhavefoundhimreversedasababy!” The Black Ninja spoke the last line quite fast.

Garmadon, however, managed to understand him.

“Are you telling me,” he spoke slowly as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, “That my brother is back to being an infant?”

“Yeah,” responded the ninja awkwardly in unison.

“Where is he now?” Garmadon asked, opening his eyes.

“With Misako,” Zane answered.

Garmadon seemed to relax. “He’s in good care, then.”

“Well, to be honest, Uncle Wu took better care of me than her when I was little,” Lloyd muttered as he glanced to the side. Garmadon was about to say something, but Jay beat him to it.

“Sensei Garmadon, if you don’t mind me asking…. How are you even here? Lloyd and I were basically told that the Oni Masks would only bring back Lord Garmadon, not Lord _and_ Sensei Garmadon as two different individuals” he asked.

“Plus, the cult that brought you back, the Sons of Garmadon, were _very_ explicit in bringing back old Lordie,” Kai added.

“I’m not sure,” Garmadon admitted, “I only remember a light.”

Everyone went silent until Lloyd spoke up.

“I have a theory,” he said, “The Dragon and the Oni basically represent good and evil, right? And they are sometimes associated with creation and destruction. I hate to admit that even the Overlord was right, but where there’s light, there’s dark. It doesn’t matter how small or big, there is a balance at the end. Maybe the reason why we have two Garmadons is because even though the Oni masks are evil, the Sons of Garmadon used my DNA, which contains both Oni _and_ Dragon blood, which must have caused the masks to bring back an Oni Garmadon and a Dragon Garmadon.”

“It’s mostly a correct guess,” Garmadon said, impressed, “But I think that I still have that Oni blood on me, son.”

“How can you be sure?” Nya asked.

“I got to Kryptarium Prison using Spinjitzu, and to use Spinjitzu I need to be aware of my element, just like the rest of you,” Sensei Garmadon explained as he raised his hands and made some light purple sparks appear, causing the young adults in the boat to gasp.

“The element of destruction…” Lloyd whispered, eyes widened.

“Yes,” Garmadon confirmed with a slight smile before becoming serious once again, “I know what the general thought is regarding my element-”

“-Destructive?” Kai briefly interrupted, earning a smack on the back of the head by his sister.

“-But without it,” Garmadon continued, ignoring the Red Ninja, “You wouldn’t have creation”

“Sometimes, in order to create, you must destroy,” Zane mused.

Sensei Garmadon nodded as he turned to look at Lloyd. “Exactly. Having both Oni and Dragon in me, _in us_ , is proof that there’s balance inside. A whole Dragon me would have been too focused in trying to create an alternative way to counter Oni me,” the old man explained.

“But how is this new information going to helps us against Lord Garmadon?” Cole asked, “What I understood is that he is full Oni, and the only thing that comes to my mind to at least challenge that are the Golden Weapons, and we all know what happened to those.”

“We will fight against him,” Lloyd responded, “I alone was not enough, but together we can take him down” he said as he walked around the deck before turning around and facing his father, “Together we’re stronger.”

“Hate to be that person, but what about the Sons of Garmadon? Harumi?” Kai asked him with concern. Lloyd averted his eyes to the floor.

“We’ll fight them, too… And… Regarding Harumi… I won’t deny that I’m still confused over my feelings for her,” the Green Ninja admitted as he hanged his head in shame, “But I won’t let my heart get in the way this time,” he declared, red eyes bearing a hardened gaze many could associate with a broken heart.

Garmadon, remembering the conversation he and his son were having minutes ago, was about to approach him to give some comforting advise, when an explosion was suddenly heard in the approaching city. The members of the _Destiny Bounty_ were quick to make their way to the edge of the deck, where they all shared a simultaneous gasp of shock.

A massive stone-like giant stood over Ninjago City, glowing with the same purple energy that Lloyd had seen both Garmadons previously use. The giant somehow resembled what the youngest ninja had imagined an Oni to look like: a warrior that didn’t not spread a feeling of safety, but instead a feeling of terror.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER IS THAT?!” Jay yelled.

“It’s a weird giant thingy!” Kai yelled back.

“THAT’S NOT A ‘THINGY’! THAT’S A THINGTON!” Jay screamed at the Red Ninja in exasperation, “IT’S LIKE A- A GARMAGEDDON! No offense, Sensei Garmadon” he said to the master.

Garmadon, however, was white as a sheet, which didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the crew.

“Father?” Lloyd asked in concern.

“That’s the Colossi…” Garmadon whispered.

“The what now?” Cole asked. The master of Destruction turned towards him.

“When I was banished to the Underworld by Wu, and shortly after my own transformation into the form of Lord Garmadon, I discovered that with my True Potential I could call a monster into doing my command. This monster was the Colossi, one of the four most powerful beings in all of Ninjago. I refused to bring it into existence because I knew that the Colossi would destroy anything in the path that could be considered a ‘recess’ of my True Potential,” Garmadon explained with apprehension.

“Lloyd, Misako and Sensei Wu,” Zane concluded.

Garmadon nodded softly, “I couldn’t bear to harm you, son…or anyone else for that matter… I never told anyone about it, not Chen, not Wu, not even Misako, so how in my father’s name did the Sons of Garmadon find out?”

“Harumi is full of surprises,” Lloyd muttered bitterly.

“Um, guys?” Nya spoke with a familiar warning edge to the Ninjas. “If the Colossi is out to destroy everything, including those dear to Garmadon in order to archive a bigger full potential, then that means-”

“It’s going after mom and Uncle Wu!” Lloyd realized with horror. He had just turned around to go pick up a communicator and warn the rest of his family, when his father stopped him.

“I don’t think that it’s going after Misako and Wu, right now,” Garmadon said, his crimson eyes still on the Colossi.

“What makes you think that?” Lloyd certainly didn’t like the look in his father’s face.

“Because it has the attention on us…. _On you…_ ” Garmadon revealed with a grim tone. Lloyd finally turned to look at the same direction his father was facing, and indeed, the giant had stopped his attack on the city and was staring directly into the flying ship, just into the spot Lloyd was standing in.

“Pixal, Zane! Turn the ship around now!” Cole commanded.

But before the Nindroid couple could even touch the controls, the Colossi immediately moved towards the _‘Destiny Bounty’_ , grabbing the ship. The giant briefly focused his purple eyes on Lloyd, glaring at the elemental master of life, before throwing the vessel into the nearest buildings.

The last thing Lloyd remembered was being held by his father before thinking:

_“I wish I could’ve protected everyone…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not really sorry for that cliffhanger *evil laughter*. 
> 
> Zena is already working on the next chapter, but until then, please leave a review, since we love them and are great confidence boosters.


	4. Shattered Reality

Everything was dark.

Quiet.

For a moment, Lloyd wondered if this was what death was like.

But then he noticed that he was still breathing. In fact, he could hear some other raspy breaths that had to belong to the ninja and his father.

Lloyd's eyes fluttered open. “What happened? How are we still alive?” he asked as he looked around, noticing that there were traces of an black, purple, and gold elemental power in the air; Kai was helping Cole and Zane get up while Nya and Pixal carried a visibly shocked Jay. Lloyd himself has being held by his father.

“Dad?” A _‘how?’_ question hung in Lloyd’s words.

Garmadon lightly stroked his son's hair. “A few seconds before the _Bounty_ made impact, I summoned my own elemental dragon, bringing you and the others to safety. We're alive, Lloyd… You _know_ I'd refuse to lose you and the others…”

Lloyd smiled gratefully, managing to relax slightly. However, growling and loud crashes could be heard in the distance. The Green Ninja soon grew wary. The Colossi was approaching, definitely sensing that his target was still alive.

“Are you alright? You’re tenser than I remember seeing you,” Garmadon asked his son with concern.

“We nearly died, and that would have been destiny’s last cruel laugh on us, considering the last 24 hours,” Lloyd replied softly as he looked at his father.

“Remember what I’ve said in the past: Be strong. Just hold on…” Garmadon assured his child as he held him tighter, “Hold on…”

Lloyd allowed himself to relax just slightly once again.

“Uhh hate to disturb your moment,” Kai’s voice made itself known, looking at both Garmadons with a deadpan expression, “But we sorta need to get back into the action,” he informed the father and son duo.

“A-Alright…” Lloyd whispered weakly. He took a deep breath and calmed down. “ _Let’s do this._ ”

Garmadon, however, held his son for a few seconds more.

“Father? You can let go now,” Lloyd assured, although his father’s soft gaze comforted Lloyd greatly.

“I'm so proud of you…” Garmadon whispered into his ear.

“Thanks, father…” was the Green Ninja’s reply upon pulling away. He looked up at the approaching Colossi. He furrowed his eyebrows, looking determinedly at the massive creature. Instinctively, he raised his arms to summon his elemental powers, but remembering that he didn't have them anymore, he put them down, taking his katanas out instead. He glanced at his father. “Is it possible to do Spinjitzu without an element?” he asked.

Garmadon remembered teaching Misako Spinjitzu and nodded in reply. “Yes, I was the one who showed your mother how to perform it.”

“Ah, alright.”

Kai smiled, “Just like old times, huh guys?”

“Yes,” Zane replied, “Very much indeed.”

Jay smiled at Nya and then at the rest of the team. “Let's chop-socky this lemonade stand!”

“Ha ha!” Cole laughed. “Oooh! I got happy feet!”

Nya smiled. “Some things never change.”

“Alright, enough one-liners; let’s go get that beast!” Lloyd reminded them.

The ninja all looked at each other before they cried out:

“NINJA, GO!”

Garmadon watched pridefully as his son lead the Ninja and Samurai into battle. He sighed softly, remembering that he was the only one who had elemental powers.

_“Had I not have left you, son, this would have never happened…”_ the sensei thought, momentarily looking away from the battle. The conversation that had happened in the ship moments before started to play in his head.

_“Wait…if what Lloyd said is true, then he should have his powers over creation as well, since there must always be a balance in life. But will it happen in time?”_ The thoughts were flooding in Garmadon’s head as he remembered Lloyd’s close encounters with death.

_“I’m so scared… What if I lose you... I CAN’T lose you, Lloyd… Not again… Not after I have just gotten you BACK…!”_ He choked back a sob, trying to stay strong. Turning to look back at the battle, he saw that the ninja were struggling against the Colossi, and in the distance, Garmadon could see a group of people watching the battle with-

His breath hitched.

Bad Garmadon and the Sons of Garmadon were watching, and one of the group members was making an approach towards the ninja, the moon making an object shine in the figure’s hand.

Garmadon’s eyes widened, and his gaze soon grew cold. He muttered, “Ninjago _shall_ not fall. Not if _I_ have anything to say about it… Harumi...you'll _pay_ for what you've done to my child.”

He took off in the shadows towards the member, towards Lloyd with one new thought on his mind:

_“One misstep could cause severely disastrous consequences.”_  

* * *

 

The fight felt like it was going on forever.

“Lloyd!” Jay cried, “The Colossi’s indestructible!”

Lloyd nodded, “Keep fighting! Ninja _never_ quit! Something’s ought to happen!”

From the shadows, Harumi glared at Lloyd before unsheathing her dagger, ready to throw it at him again, taking advantage of the distraction. Smiling wickedly, Harumi launched the blade at the Green Ninja.

Garmadon, who had gotten close enough, felt his eyes widen as he saw the blade fly through the air, gasping as he realized where it was headed. “ _NO!_ YOU _WON'T_ TAKE MY SON FROM ME!” he screamed.

Lloyd turned around to witness his father take a blade in his place, watching in growing horror as Garmadon collapsed to his knees with the blade pierced through his stomach. He felt that his world was slowly falling apart before his very eyes.

“ _This isn't real...this isn't real…”_ he wanted to yell. But it was.

And it struck Lloyd _hard_.

“How dare you…” he growled softly in anger at Harumi, who only tossed her hair and sauntered away with a laugh. It was at that moment when the implications of what just happened sank in. He fell on his knees next to his father, too caught up in grief and shock.

“S-Son…” Garmadon whispered. “It was the only way… Harumi would've–”

“It's my fault…” was Lloyd's reply as he put his father's head down in his lap. He let out a soft sob. “N-No, dad… D-Don’t leave m-me… _N-Not again..._ ” he begged as he tried to stop some of the blood from leaking. He didn’t dare to take the knife out. Not now.

All the action quickly died down, the ninja gasping in horror as they realized what just happened and Harumi having ordered the Sons of Garmadon to halt the attack as to create as much emotional stress on the Green Ninja as possible.

As he attempted to prevent his father more pain, Lloyd felt himself get sucked into a memory, not long after the Overlord’s second defeat.

_Lloyd sighed softly, gazing at the pond near his father’s monastery. He missed Zane. He had already done quite a bit of training and he needed a break. ‘I’ll do everything I can to bring our team together. I promise… It’s what you would’ve wanted…’_

_"Lloyd?"_

_His thoughts dissipated at his father's voice. He looked up to see Garmadon kneeling down beside him. "Dad," he smiled, embracing him, his worries vanishing instantly as he held his parent tight._

_"You okay there?" Garmadon asked upon pulling away._

_"I guess... Zane's loss has impacted us all so much..." Lloyd sighed._

_"It's going to be alright, son." Garmadon spoke softly, squeezing his son's hands in reassurance. "I'll be here... I'll never leave your side... You may be older, but you are still my child at heart. I love you so much. You make my life complete."_

_Lloyd's eyes started to water at his father's consolations. "You're the best...I'm glad to have a father like you..."_

_"Of course, Lloyd... You mean the absolute world to me... If not for you, I would have caused so much pain, but destiny brought us together once again." Garmadon embraced his son and shut his eyes for a moment while Lloyd sobbed quietly into his father's chest from overwhelming joy and admiration. "I'm right here... You're going to be okay..."_

_"Dad..." Lloyd's shuddered in fear._

_"Lloyd Montgomery..." Garmadon cooed. "Oh, never do I want to let go of you, my child..."_

_Lloyd curled up into his father's arms, too scared to pull away. Neither of them wanted to for that matter. Lloyd let a soft whimper escape him as he buried his face into Garmadon's chest._

_"I'm right here... You are just too, too precious and important to me..." Garmadon stroked his hair lightly and continued, “I wouldn't have it any other way…”_

_Lloyd eventually calmed down and found the willpower to let go. “Thank you for being here,” was his reply._

_Garmadon smiled lovingly. “Your mother just finished making tonkatsu pork for everyone. Shall we go eat?”_

_Lloyd nodded weakly, he and his father walking back inside._

_Together._

* * *

 

“And as always, it’s your fault, Lloyd,” Harumi taunted, shaking Lloyd out of his thoughts.

The other ninja were about to go after her, but the Colossi chose that moment to resume the battle against them. Looming footsteps were heard along with growling, and Lord Garmadon appeared beside the Quiet One.

“Dad? Come on, stay with me, please! Just hang on!” Lloyd pleaded. He had just gotten his father back, only for him to sacrifice himself _again_ in order to save his life.

“I love you _so much…_ ” Garmadon whispered sincerely as black spots started to dance on his vision. “I wish I could have come sooner…”

“Dad…” Lloyd choked out. “I don't want you to leave… _You can’t leave…_ ”

Garmadon smiled sadly at his child. “I'm so proud of you…” he whispered.

Lloyd grasped his father's hands. “D-Don’t leave…you _promised_ you were going to stay!”

“I-It just isn’t meant to be... _I’m sorry, Lloyd…_ ” Garmadon let his own tears fall.

“No, father… _I need you…_ ” Lloyd whimpered adamantly. “More than you'll ever know…” His body was shaking in overwhelming emotion. A tight feeling was taking over his chest. It hurt too much. Oh, too much…

His father groaned softly, closing his eyes. His chest rose and fell with more effort by the minute.

“ _NO!_ ” Lloyd screamed, unable to contain it any longer. “I _CAN’T_ WATCH YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! _I JUST CAN’T!_ ” His eyelids fell shut, and as they opened once again, both Harumi and Lord Garmadon took a step back in shock.

Lloyd’s eyes were golden now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *high fiveing Zena while laughing evily* We know, we're bad. Anyway, Zena took over this one, and when she send me the chapter for revisions I nearly yelled at her. I didn't because I also enjoyed the idea.


	5. Retribution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lloyd? Badass. Harumi? About to get owened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one... is the longest chapter. We really hope you like it!

In a fraction of seconds, Lloyd was surrounded by golden and green energy. In any other situation, he would have felt excited over the fact that the Golden Power was back at his fingertips, but now…

Lloyd had a wide arrange of feelings at the moment. He was angry. Concerned. A little amused.

Most of all, he was confused.

Why now? Why not mere minutes ago? Why not a day ago, when he barged into Kryptarium Prison to confront the monster he thought was still his father? Was destiny really just waiting for the moment for him to have a near-mental breakdown? Was destiny cruel enough to unlock the Golden Power once his father, the Elemental Master of Destruction, was nearly in death’s grip once more?

“This-THIS ISN’T POSSIBLE!” Harumi’s panicked voice brought Lloyd back to reality. The golden and green energy was still around him, acting as a shield, while also looking like it was waiting for the young man to act.

“Well…” Kai said as he nearly dodged the Colossi, “You did bring back two Garmadons-!” Harumi and Lord Garmadon ignored him, opting to blast Lloyd, but the energy stood strong against the blasts.

“-Who are the elemental master of destruction-!” Jay added as he attempted to throw one of his nunchucks at the giant. The Colossi simply waved its hand across his face, as if the weapons were a mere annoying fly. Lord Garmadon attempted firing more blasts, the shield shaking slightly.

“-And you did mortally wound his father!” Cole kept the thread going as he tried to assist Jay and Kai with Zane’s help.

Cole mentioning Garmadon’s current condition nearly made Lloyd slap himself in the face, having momentarily forgotten due to the shock of his powers making their return. In a panic, he looked down at Garmadon, who seemed to be going in and out of consciousness thanks to the pain. The blond didn’t dare to take the knife out, knowing it would make things so much worse than they were already.

“Dad...” Lloyd found his voice surprisingly calmer than it had been a few minutes ago as he gently shook the older man, but the only sound that came from his father was a small whimper of pain.

Another beam of destruction hit the shield, and this time, a few small cracks appeared. Lloyd saw from the corner of his eye how Harumi and Lord Garmadon gave victory smiles before the monster started to form another beam. The energy in the shield glowed slightly, as if the Golden Power was trying to warn its bearer that he should make a move sooner than later.

Ignoring the newly risen lump in his throat and opting to taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lloyd concentrated on commanding some of the Green and Golden Power to surround Garmadon’s wound, silently hoping that leaving the small amount of energy would at least neutralize the injury. He spared the Quiet One and Lord Garmadon a quick glance, and to his risen horror, saw that the destroyer was building up more energy on Harumi’s command in the hopes of completely obliterating the shield and annihilating father and son.

The combination of Life, Energy, and Creation cracked the blade, and for a moment, Lloyd feared that he had doomed his father. However, no blood made itself known, and Garmadon’s breathing started to look less pained while the energy continued to glow around his abdomen.

Lloyd would have cried out of joy if not for the golden shield starting to glow more urgently. It took him three seconds to realize what Lord Garmadon was about to do.

“LLOYD!” the ninja’s horrified screams took their cue when the monster fired up a tremendous amount of destruction beams with his four arms towards their beloved teammate.

BOOM!

Smoke filled the air, followed a by a short silence that was interrupted by cheering from the Sons of Garmadon.

“FINALLY!” Harumi’s cackling voice was heard, “NINJAGO, HAIL YOUR NEW HERO, LORD GARMADON, FOR YOUR PRECIOUS GREEN NINJA IS DEAD!” she declared as she looked into the ninja’s direction with a smirk of victory on her face.

“Or am I?”

The Quiet One turned around just in time to dodge a golden blast of energy, which ended up hitting Lord Garmadon. It then caused the monster to get thrown out of balance and onto the ground, standing up with a dangerous growl. Harumi looked towards the direction the blast came, teeth clenched and a scowl on her face…. which got replaced quite fast with a gasp of “IMPOSSIBLE!”

Lloyd was standing in the middle of the smoke, glowing with the elemental power of creation, clad with the Golden gi. As the rest of the smoke cleared, the Golden Elemental Dragon revealed itself, and under the protection of it, with a neutralized wound and barely awake, Sensei Garmadon.

“WHOO HOO! GO GOLDEN NINJA!” Nya cheered alongside the other ninja and some of the citizens that had not been able to leave the area.

The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master didn’t pay attention to them, opting to create a sword and pointing it at Lord Garmadon and Harumi, who both stepped back a little bit.

“This ends now!” Lloyd spoke with a hardened gaze.

“I don’t think so!” Harumi hissed, just as Lord Garmadon shot another blast towards Lloyd, who used the sword to divert the attack in the Colossi’s direction. The giant trembled slightly with the hit, but unfortunately it quickly recovered…

…until the Golden Elemental Dragon took flight and started firing towards the Colossi.

“ _Father!_ ” Lloyd called as he blocked another blast from Lord Garmadon, “You need to get to safety!”

“I won’t disagree with you on that one,” Garmadon wheezed as he struggled to get up, Pixal immediately making her way in the rubble to help the Sensei. “Good luck, my child.”

“Thanks, dad…” Lloyd smiled briefly in response and continued to battle the dark lord.

“I think is time for you to reunite with your wife,” Pixal murmured to Garmadon as she quickly carried him away from the battle.

“DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY!” Harumi ordered the Sons of Garmadon.

“How about no?” Cole said as he and Kai went after Killow, who had been mere inches from grabbing the escaping pair. Jay and Zane managed to stop Mr. E from blocking the path and Nya had actually pulled Ultra-Violet by the hair to prevent her from helping the robot out. Harumi growled.

“ _Make sure to win!_ ” she commanded to Lord Garmadon as she went the other way to stop Pixal and Sensei Garmadon. Lloyd was about to make a move to stop her, but the Bad Garmadon started firing more shots of destruction, forcing the Golden Ninja to continue blocking with occasional blasts of energy and the sword.

“We are _never_ going to win at this rate...” Lloyd whispered to himself as he retaliated with golden energy and dodged a piece of rubble thrown at him. Momentarily looking back at his fellow teammates and at his dragon, he realized he couldn’t fight in the ground, _in the city_ anymore. He had to take the monsters outside the city, but he also couldn’t let the Sons of Garmadon run chaotically in the streets. He gazed at the ninjas one more time.

“GUYS!” Lloyd yelled to get their attention, “MAKE SURE _NONE_ OF THEM GET AWAY!” as he exclaimed that, he focused four energy beams towards the ninja, gold turning into red, black, blue, and white respectively. The last thing Lloyd saw before jumping towards his Golden Elemental Dragon was the team he considered family giving screams of joy before Cole led them against the Sons of Garmadon once again.

He then focused his attention on the Colossi, thankful that his mask hid most of the surprise in his face when he noticed Lord Garmadon was on the giant’s shoulder.

**“Tonight, _ONE of us will perish_ ,”** Lord Garmadon declared.

Lloyd smirked, “You’ll have to get to me first!”

* * *

 Even though Garmadon appreciated that Lloyd had managed to neutralize his wound with the Golden Power, he still wished the energy would completely heal him. The pain was bearable, but the constant attempts of the cult to get to him had increased the need to move faster, and that was slowly making the pain more and more prominent.

Sudden cries of joy made themselves known in the fight between the ninja and the Sons of Garmadon, and Pixal and the master of destruction momentarily stopped to look, the nindroid gasping in surprise.

“Their elemental powers have returned!” Pixal exclaimed in awe.

Garmadon shook his head slightly. “Lloyd must have remembered his teammates were missing something,” he said with a little fond smile. _“I’m so proud of you, my son…”_ he thought to himself as he watched the battle take place. He quickly frowned as a new pang of pain made itself known.

“Sensei, look!” Pixal demanded his attention while pointing at the sky.

Garmadon looked up, seeing his son flying away on his elemental dragon, with the Colossi following him. Apparently Bad Garmadon was too, since more than one beams of destruction could be seen firing from the giant, Lloyd miraculously managing to dodge every single one.

“Lloyd is taking the fight out of the city,” he realized.

“Leaving _you_ unprotected.” a cold voice finished from behind. Pixal and Garmadon turned around to see Harumi blocking their path.

“I’ll admit that this was a turn of events I did _not_ see coming,” The Quiet One said as she walked towards them, unleashing two swords. “My plan was so simple: pretend to enjoy life as the princess of Ninjago, get the Oni Masks, doing what was necessary to get to them, bring back Lord Garmadon as a destroyer, have him destroy the ninja and make him the new emperor.”

“But _you_ ,” Harumi hissed at Garmadon, “Came back too. You are one of the main reasons the great Lord Garmadon has not achieved his ultimate true potential. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: you and Lloyd have a tendency of standing in my way.”

“He trusted you,” Pixal cut in, “Developed feelings for you-”

“Then I made a good job in playing him,” Harumi smiled evilly. “I’ll admit it was fun playing with his feelings,” she said as she turned to Garmadon, who was glaring at her, “Would’ve had more fun seeing him bleed to death, but you taking that blade in his place was so much fun to watch. And I’ll have more fun getting rid of one obstacle,” she said before charging towards them.

Garmadon quietly growled. “Stay _away_ from me and my family!”

What happened next came in too fast for Garmadon and Pixal:

One moment Harumi had raised her swords, not giving enough time for the new Samurai X to defend them and then…

A vase came from behind the psycho princess, knocking her down towards the floor and making her drop both swords.

“What in the name of my fa-?” Garmadon was about to ask when a small voice said:

“Hi, bwodew!”

A small child was waving at Garmadon excitedly.

“Wu?” the Sensei asked in a small voice. The toddler—No, Wu—nodded. Garmadon simply stared. “I was warned, but seeing it in person is just-”

“Strange?” a woman’s voice finished the sentence for him. Garmadon looked up from his de-aged brother to his wife. Misako looked as beautiful as she did the last time he had seen her.

“Misako...” he whispered.

“Hello, Garmadon” she replied, eyes shining with unshed tears. He let go of Pixal, opting to collapse in his wife’s arms, who held him close.

“Did you really throw a vase to a cult leader’s head?” he asked with slight amusement.

“Wu’s idea.”

“He was always mischievous in our childhood,” Garmadon reminisced.

“Where’s Lloyd?” Misako asked with worry on her tone. Her husband was about to answer, but just then, a blast was heard outside the city.

“Hopefully winning.”

* * *

 

Lloyd had successfully managed to lure both Lord Garmadon and the Colossi outside of New Ninjago City, into the sea. He was now currently evading blasts of destruction while counter-attacking with his powers and the Golden Elemental Dragon, but the only damage the Colossi had sustained until now were cracks on its arms and torso.

**“IT’S _USELESS!_ ”** Lord Garmadon roared from his spot, **“YOU CANNOT EXTINGUISH THE DARKNESS! _NOT AS LONG AS I STAND!_ ”** he declared.

_“Wow, déjà vu,”_ Lloyd thought as he continued to soar around the creature. _“But he’s right, destroying the Colossi is nearly impossible, it is after all a symbol of his power, just like the dragon is mine…”_

A bad idea hit Lloyd.

He stopped flying around, centering himself in front of the giant and concentrating on shooting at the Colossi and Lord Garmadon with the biggest amount of energy yet. Bad Garmadon was quick to retaliate, and the impact of creation and destruction caused a gigantic blast, but neither the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master nor the destroyer backed down.

Lloyd felt the sweat drops of tension and near exhaustion in his face, but he kept on concentrating his elemental energy. Just a little more… he could see that even Lord Garmadon was reaching his point….

In the blink of an eye, Lloyd stopped firing, diving his dragon under the Colossi with an incredible speed, appearing behind the giant before diving himself and the Golden Elemental Dragon into an enraged Lord Garmadon. What followed was unknown to Lloyd: there was a blinding light, forcing him to close his eyes. The only thing that he could hear was a ghostly screeching that made his skin crawl.

And before he knew it, he was falling out of the sky. Panic settled in, with Lloyd screaming as he tried to conjure up his dragon, but the only thing that came out of his hands was a golden spark. He was back at being the Green Ninja for the moment.

“NononononoNO!” he yelled as he got closer to the water. The only thing that could save him now was…

Lloyd forced himself to calm down and concentrate.

“I am not afraid, I am not afraid,” the Green Ninja chanted as he kept falling, closing his eyes, “I am not afraid, _I am NOT afraid!_ ” he declared one more time before opening his eyes, which were glowing once again with power as the Green Elemental Dragon formed itself. Lloyd landed on its back with a cry of joy. “Boy, I missed you!” he murmured with exhaustion as he tried to calm down his breathing. Letting out a sigh, Lloyd directed the dragon towards the city.

“Let’s go home…”

* * *

 

 “Well, it took a little while, but they’re not getting away,” Kai said as the police department arrived to arrest the now-imprisoned Sons of Garmadon. They had been put in ice by Zane in order to hold them in their place. “Did you guys bring ice picks?”

“Nice idea, Nya, to summon the Tornado of Creation,” Jay complimented his girlfriend, who blushed.

“Well, I didn’t expect it to work that well, but it did!” she replied.

“Has anyone heard from Lloyd?” Misako asked. She was by Garmadon’s side, who was being attended by a group of paramedics, much to his frustration.

“We haven’t heard anything from him since he restored our elemental powers” Cole said as he looked at the other ninja, who shook their heads. Even Wu, who being held by said Black Ninja, babbled a “No.”

“Do you think he’s alright?” Zane wondered.

“It’s Lloyd!” Kai attempted to lift their spirits, “He’ll be fine!”

Just when he said that, a strong BAM! was heard, followed by a strong gust of wind.

A sense of worry filled the scene, with Garmadon and Misako clutching each other hands for comfort as they wondered if their son had been victorious. Everyone was holding their breath, until the sound of a dragon’s wings was heard above them.

Cheers were broken once they realized it was Lloyd, safe and back with his green gi. He slid off the dragon, making him disappear almost immediately.

“See? He’s fine!” Kai said.

Garmadon ignored the paramedics, opting for getting up, and with the help of Misako, walking towards Lloyd, who once he saw them, broke into a smile.

“Mom! Dad!” he cried as he raced to hug them.

“How did you-?” Garmadon was about to ask before he was interrupted by Lloyd.

“I’ll explain later, I swear,” his son said. Garmadon noticed that he looked tired. “But how are you? Did the wound open?” Lloyd asked urgently.

“No, still neutralized and I was being examined by the paramedics. They said I should be better in a few weeks.” Garmadon informed. _“I’m so proud of you, son…”_

Lloyd visibly relaxed, but then something caught his eye. It was Harumi, who was struggling to get away of the police truck. Lloyd left the safety of his parents’ arms as he walked towards her, with the ninja, Garmadon, Misako and Wu looking at him worriedly.

Once she noticed him, Harumi actually spat at his feet.

“So you won,” she simply said, “Here to deliver a one-liner? Boast your win?”

“Hmm…?” Lloyd hummed, “Not going to try winning me over again?” he asked coldly.

“Do you still love me?” Harumi asked the question with such delicacy that for a moment, just one fleeting moment, Lloyd saw the mask he had fallen for. But the moment was gone as soon as it began.

“I won’t deny it: your greatest trick was making me gain a crush on you, and it worked wonderfully, to the point that 24 hours ago, I was still confused over them,” Lloyd said, “But those feelings ended the _very moment_ your knife stabbed my father,” he continued with a glare.

“So, what I’m trying to say here is what I should have told you days ago,” Lloyd leaned in, his nose nearly brushing Harumi’s before speaking, “ _Goodbye._ ”

And that said, Lloyd walked back to his family, leaving Harumi behind as she cursed and kicked while being put in the prison transport.

He _never_ looked back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I had fun writing this one and Zena equally enjoyed the revision. We were both suprised how long this chapter was, but we're not complaining. We got one more chapter to go and then this story is complete! Until next tuesday and please leave a review if you enjoyed!


	6. Wounds Will Mend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter guys! We hope you enjoy!

 

It had been a week since the downfall of Harumi and the Sons of Garmadon. The city was repaired, there were talks about reaching out for a new heir to the Imperial Throne that had been living in the outskirts of Ninjago, Sensei Garmadon had healed. In thanks for their many deeds, the surviving city council had gifted the Ninja the Hero Suite that the Ninja had attempted to pay off so many years back, much to Kai and Jay’s amusement and delight.

Despite the seemingly happy ending, not everyone was happy. Lloyd hadn't been himself, he had locked himself up in his room, shutting himself off from the world, his friends _and his father_.

Garmadon knew something was wrong, and he feared that if not dealt with, could lead to some terrible things, like—no, he couldn't go there.

He felt personally hurt. After all that had happened, his son had elected to ignore him and his own needs, to the point that there were nights in which Misako and the other Ninja had to beg Lloyd to come out of his room and eat. When he did, it would be with his hair a complete mess, bags under his eyes, and he would only grab a small granola bar and then be back at his room.

“He looks worse than when Morro possessed him,” Cole would whisper as the blond mop of hair disappeared behind the door.

Garmadon felt that he needed to try to fix it. Standing by the door of Lloyd's room, he had spent the last hour trying to urge him to come out.

“Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, you have been locked in there for the past week with nothing to eat and very little sleep. You've been ignoring me, and I….I am hurt...” Garmadon’s voice cracked a little at the end, “ _You….wanted me here from the beginning._ ”

From the other side of the room, Lloyd did not respond. Unbeknownst to his father, the young man was on the floor with his back against the door and knees drawn to his chest. He knew he was causing some heartache, that he was behaving like a brat, but all of his emotions seemed to have crashed.

At the silence, Garmadon felt his chest constrict and he couldn't help but sob quietly. “I understand if you’re still hurting over the past events, but you don't have to lock yourself up like it's your fault...”

More silence. The Sensei sighed.

“You don't understand… I'm here for you, but you never once reached out to me… I'm hurt by this, Lloyd… I cannot tolerate it any longer...” With a choking breath, he put his forehead against the door. “ _Please…_ Do not do this to yourself; do not do this _to me…_ Please, Lloyd. We _need_ to talk,” Garmadon tried to reason with him. 

_“No,”_ Lloyd muttered.

Garmadon perked up at his son’s broken voice. “What?”

" _I said NO!_ " Lloyd screamed in a fit of anger and frustration, not thinking about what he had said, as he was too consumed with the pain of everything that had previously happened: his father’s near demise, Harumi manipulating him, and him almost dying _again_. " _Leave me alone! I wish you weren't my father!_ "

"Lloyd," Garmadon raised his voice, taken aback. "You don't really mean it, do you?"

" _GO AWAY!_ " Lloyd started bawling. Struck by his son’s tone, Garmadon felt the need to raise his voice further, but quickly considered. Letting out a small sigh, he leaned his head once again against the door.

_“I just don't ever want to lose you…”_ he started to whisper. “I don't know what's going on inside your head, inside your heart… Even if your words torment me to no end, I don't want a rift to form between us…” he fought back a sob, “I love you unconditionally...I remember when you loved me dearly...so much so that you just didn't want to fight. _”_ Garmadon collapsed to his knees in front of the door, letting his tears flow. “Don't tear our relationship apart, I beg of you… _It’s been far too long, and I need you, Lloyd…more than you will ever know…_ ” 

* * *

Moments seemed to stretch on, but neither son or father moved from their spots. From Lloyd’s side, he soon felt guilty over what he had said to his own father, and the hot tears of anger and frustration that he had shed seconds ago were now replaced by tears of regret.

“I’m sorry, dad...” he quietly whispered.

On his side, Garmadon was still consumed with shock and grief. In his swirling emotions, he came to imagine a horrifying thought: what might have happened if he hadn’t made it in time and _Lloyd_ had been the one hit by Harumi’s dagger instead…?

He tried to shut the thought out, but instead it became stronger.

What if…?

_The Quiet One threw a silver blade at the Green Ninja, causing it to embed itself into Lloyd's chest._

_He collapsed to his knees in overwhelming pain, coughing small droplets of blood. "Dad?" he whispered before his eyes rolled to the back of his head._

_Almost immediately after, Garmadon ran forward. "N-No...it cannot be...it CANNOT be… HARUMI!” He growled in pure, unrelenting ferocity as she gave her hair a toss and strutted away. The Sensei was devastated. He knelt beside his dying child, placing his head into his lap, sobbing uncontrollably. “Lloyd… don't leave me...not again… N-No… You just CANNOT leave me...I cannot bear to lose you a second time… I wish we could have spent more time...together...but that shall never happen now…”_

_Lloyd didn't respond, his breaths were getting slower by the second._

_Garmadon choked out, “Lloyd, please hold on… Hold on… Never leave my side… I love you...more than you could ever know…_

_Lloyd's breath hitched once and then stopped._

_Garmadon fell silent for a moment. “Lloyd… Lloyd, come on…” he finally whispered._

_No response. The terrible realization hit the old master like a pile of bricks. His child was dead._

_“NOOOOOOOO!” Garmadon screamed, his body was trembling as sobs shook his frame. “I NEVER WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU! WHY MUST I ALWAYS HAVE TO LOSE YOU?!”_

“Be thankful it didn't happen...” Garmadon whispered to himself as he opened his eyes, the vision of what could have been no longer tormenting him. He gave Lloyd’s door one last look before getting up, deciding that maybe he could use a cup of tea to calm himself.

But just as he was about to give his first step, the sound of the door unlocking caught his attention, and he turned around just in time to see Lloyd collapse against him.

“You’re right…” the green ninja admitted with a sob. “I need you, I need mom, I need my friends… I'm so sorry…” Lloyd buried himself in his father’s shoulder.

Garmadon immediately embraced him.

“ _I'm so sorry…_ ” Lloyd cried once again, clutching his father tightly, burying his face into his chest. “I don't really know what's wrong with me…”

“It's okay…” consoled Garmadon, his voice raw with emotion as he stroked Lloyd's hair, “I'm here… You were only upset… I can understand that…” Garmadon spoke in a soft tone.

Lloyd mumbled something.

“What was that? I didn’t quite get it.”

Lloyd took a shaky breath.

“Please don’t leave me…” his son whimpered, “I-I’ve been having nightmares, okay? About the Colossi…it kills my friends and Wu in some of them and in others…in others my powers don’t come back and-and even if I didn’t remove the blade you still died in my arms…”

Garmadon’s eyes widened at Lloyd’s confession. “I won't leave you again, Lloyd…” he softly said as he gently stroked his child’s hair. “I know you fear it, I know you’ve lived it two times… but I need you to be aware that there will come a day in which I will properly leave this realm…hopefully of old age…” Garmadon muttered. Lloyd, despite himself, couldn’t help but let out a shaky laugh.

“And speaking of fears…a few minutes ago I had a vision in which I lost _you_ to Harumi instead…” Garmadon trailed off, his son falling quiet as his words sunk in.

“I also dream about Harumi’s betrayal…” Lloyd confessed softly, “Sometimes I can hear her speaking greatly off your time as Lord Garmadon… like it was the best thing that ever happened to Ninjago… Worst first crush ever…” he muttered that last part bitterly. “It’s been hard getting over it…” he added as some tears gathered in the corner of his eyes and he tried to wipe them out.

“Lloyd…” Garmadon whispered. “As much as I cannot bear to see you so upset over this...you have to understand that it’s okay to be sad while trying to forget the heartache. Son, people cry, not because they’re weak, it’s because they’ve been strong for too long. It’s okay to let your emotions free.”

Lloyd was now full on crying.

“There will be other chances for love…” Garmadon assured. “Women and men will come and go…” he added with a little smile.

“FSM, DAD!” Lloyd screeched while his face went pink. His father, on the other hand, laughed before resorting to holding him by the shoulders, his old crimson eyes staring into Lloyd’s natural vibrant red.

“What I’m trying to tell you is that there will always be new beginnings. Right now, once again we have a new beginning for our story as a family. Yes, there will be the fear of losing each other, and if the day comes, then know that I’ll always be in here…” Garmadon said, pointing at Lloyd’s heart. “I’ll always be watching over you…”

Lloyd smiled softly at his father, who quickly returned it. “Dad…thanks for everything…”

“Of course, Lloyd… Now,” Garmadon said, clearing his throat. “I think that we should head to the kitchen, it’s nearly dinner time and you need the food” he said as he and Lloyd stood up.

“Please tell me Zane is cooking, if it’s Cole, I’m locking myself in my room again,” the young man pleaded.

“Oh, Cole got himself banned from the kitchen by your mother, so don’t worry about that,” Garmadon assured before leading Lloyd out of the room.

* * *

 

Later that night, after having been forced by Kai, Nya and his parents to eat three plates of dinner to make up for the food he had been neglecting himself from, Lloyd was getting ready for bed. He was hesitant and anxious over if he would finally get some decent sleep. Not even the tea his still-toddler Uncle had given him was calming him.

“Not in bed yet?” Garmadon’s voice came from behind. He sounded concerned.

“Trying to find the courage to” Lloyd replied. He fidgeted with his sleeves, before turning to his father.

“C-Could you stay with me until I fall asleep tonight?” he asked.

Garmadon looked surprised for a moment, before smiling and nodding in understanding. “I’d love to”

Lloyd smiled gratefully as he slipped on his bed. “Thank you, father…” he whispered. Garmadon gently shushed him, his son chuckling gently before finally giving in to the most needed slumber.

Garmadon watched as Lloyd’s chest moved to a soothing rhythm, watching out for any changes in case a nightmare popped on. The young man’s face twitched a couple of times, but otherwise remained peaceful.

The Elemental of Destruction smiled softly before deciding that he too should head to bed. Before he left the room, however, he turned to look at Lloyd’s sleeping form one last time.

“Remember, I’m still with you” he whispered before closing the door.

He did hear his son’s sleepy reply:

“I know…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it’s a wrap! Thank you to all who reviewed, followed and favorited this story since its publication, and thank you all who followed through. It was fun writing this story with Zena, and it’s all thanks to her that it was made in the first place, she had read my other fic, “Unbreakable Bond”, and wanted to write a sequel. I proposed this idea instead. 
> 
> We thank you once again for the support!

**Author's Note:**

> This story is available in Fanfiction (in my account) and Wattpad (Zena's account).


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